Mail-bag fastener.



\ No. 738,440. PATENTED SEPT. a, 1903.

H. J. HEILIG. MAIL BAG FASTBNER.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 21. 1903.

IO'MODEL.

i I 1 w I H W- \Y l I UNITED STATES Iatentecl September 8, 1903.

PATENT OFFICE.

HARRIS J. HEILIG, OF RALEIGH, NORTH CAROLINA, ASSIGNOR TO ALEX- ANDER BOYD ANDREWS, JR., OF RALEIGH, NORTH CAROLINA.

MAIL-BAG FASTEN ER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 738,440, dated September 8, 1903.

Application filed February 2], 1903. Serial No. 144,486. (No model.)

in the county of Wake and State of North Carolina, have invented a new and useful Mail-Bag Fastener, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to that class of mailbag fasteners in which a strap is employed to encircle and compress the bag-body brought together above the contents, usually near the month of the bag. Many forms of fastening devices for the strap thus employed have been devised, all of which while possessing certain features of advantage lack the novel and useful characteristics which distinguish my invention.

In carrying my invention into effect I make use of the well-known hasp form of fastening, in which a slotted member is employed to cooperate with a staple mounted upon another member. In the application of such a fastening to a strap of course the staple is mounted at one end, and the slot is provided at the other end of the strap; but such an'arrangement does not permit of any adjustment to compensate for change of length of the strap when affected by moisture or the increased thickness of the bag. Neither is any allowance made for the variation in bulk of the fabric of different bags for mail or express matter upon which the strap may be used.

The principal object of my invention is to obviate this difficulty by providing a fastening in'which the staple is adjustably mounted to permit of the desired adjustment.

of the principal orstaple member of the same. Fig. 3 is an edge view in section of the part shown in Fig. 2, and Fig. 4 is a perspective detail of a modification.

Referring to' the drawings, A is a base-plate of the principal member of the fastening, upon which is mounted fastening means, shown as a staple B. This mounting consists of a turn-plate a, to which the staple B is secured, one of the arms b passing through the central portion of the tnrn-plate and being extended to form a pivot-stnd for attachment to the base-plate A. The end of arm 17 is screw-threaded to receive locking-nuts 11 by means of which itis attached for pivotal movement to plate A, both the end of arm I) and the nuts being covered by a guard a for the protection of the bag. The other arm I? is attached to the turn-plate Ct near the periphery thereof.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the periphery of turn-plate a is circular, opposite halves being of difierent radii and forming at their junctures steps or steps a 0. A stop-peg a is placed upon base-plate A to be engaged alternately by steps a a in the two extreme positions'of turn-plate (t. It is obvious that by this construction staple B is mounted for eccentric oscillatory movement upon the baseplate and that when the turn-plate a is in the position shown in Fig. 1, with step a in engagement with stop-peg a*, staple B will be in its extreme right-hand position; but when turn-plate a is rotated in the direction of the arrow to the position shown in Fig. 2, bringing step a into contact with stop-peg a, the staple B is in the extreme left position. In each of these operative positions the staple is in place to enter the slot upon one end of a strap O, the other end of which strap is secured to base-plate A, as at 0. and securing means, such as a padlock D, may then be inserted in the staple. It will thus be seen that an adjustment of the stable is secured equal approximately to its span.

In order to maintain the turnrplate Cb in either of its operative positions, any suitable means may be employed, such as shown in Fig. 4. In this instance a spring-tongueu. is formed upon the turn-plate, adapted to engage depressions a ,.one in each position, in the base-plate A. I

While I have described specifically an embodiment of my invention, I wish it to be understood that many changes in details may be made without departing from the spirit of IOO the invention and that all such changes and modifications, such as any means for mounting the fastening means (described as a staple) eccentrically, fall strictly within the scope thereof. Also while I have described the invention in its application to a strap for fastening bags it is not limited thereto; but I contemplate the application of the invention to all constructions in which hasp fasteners or looks are-suitable and an adjust ment is necessary or desirable.

I-Iaving described my invention, What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

1. A mail-bag fastener comprising a baseplate, fastening means eccentrically mounted thereon, and a strap or band attached at one end to said base-plate and provided at its other end with means for engagement with said fastening means.

2. A mail-bag fastener comprising a baseplate, a staple mounted adjustably longitudinally thereon, and a strap or band attached at one end to said base-plate and provided at its other end with a slot or aperture for engagement with said staple. I

3. A mail-bag fastener comprising a baseplate, a staple mounted foreccentrio movement thereon, and a strap or band attached at one end to said base-plate and provided at its other end with a slot or aperture for engagement with said staple.

4. A mail-bag fastener comprising a baseplate, a turn-plate pivotally mounted thereon, astaple eccentrically mounted upon said turnplate, and a strap or band attached at one end to said base-plate and provided at its other end with a slot or aperture for engagement with said staple.

5. A mail-bag fastener comprising a baseplate, a turn-plate pivotally mounted thereon, fastening means eccentrically mounted upon said turn-plate, limit-step in the periphery of said turn-plate and a cooperating stop-peg upon said base-plate, and astrap or band attached at one end to said base-plate and provided at its other end with means for engagement with said fastening means.

6. A mail-bag fastener comprising a basep1ate,a turnplate pivotally mounted thereon, fastening means eccentrically mounted upon said turn-plate, means for retaining said turn-plate in an operative position, limit-step in the periphery of said turn-plate, and a strap or band attached at one end to said base-plate and provided at its other end with means for engagement with said fastening means.

7. A mail-bag fastener comprising a baseplate, a turn-plate pivotally mounted thereon, fastening means eccentrically mounted upon said turn-plate, means for limiting the move ment of said turn plate, spring pressure means for retaining said turn-plate in an operative position, and a strap or band attached at one end to said base-plate and provided at its other end with means for engagement with said fastening means.

8. In combination with a bag, a fastener comprising a base-plate, fastening means eccentrically mounted thereon, and a strap or band encircling a portion of said bag and operatively connected to said fastener and fastening means.

9. A mail-bag fastener comprising a baseplate, a staple mounted adjustably longitudinally thereon, a strap or band attached at one end to said base-plate and provided at its other end with a slot or aperture for engagement With said staple, and means for securing the parts in their fastened position.

10. A mail-bag fastener comprising a baseplate, a turn-plate pivotally mounted thereon,

a staple eccentrically mounted upon said turn plate and having one arm extended through said base-plate to form a pivot-stud, a guard for said pivot-stud upon the under side of. said base-plate, and a strap or band attached at one end to said base-plate and provided at its other end with means for engagement with said staple.

11. A fastening device comprising a baseplate, a staple mounted for eccentric movement thereon, and a cooperating member provided with a slot or aperture for engagement with said staple.

12. A fastening device comprising a baseplate, a staple mounted for eccentric movement thereon, means for retaining said staple in any one of a plurality of operative positions, and a cooperating member provided with means for engagement with said staple.

13. A fastening device comprising a baseplate, a turn-plate pivotally mounted thereon, a staple eccentrically mounted upon said turn-plate and having one arm extended to constitute the pivotal connection with said base-plate, and a cooperating member provided with means for engagement with said HARRIS J. HEILIG.

Witnesses:

O. D. GREEN, W. L. WATSON.

IIO 

